A Flying May Tree will Save You

[steepholm]

I went walking up on Purdown again yesterday, for the first time in over a week. What a difference 10 days make! Here are two photos of the same horse chestnut, one taken on 15th April, the other on the 25th. Such is the power of Spring (cue Stravinsky):



Also, the May is very much out, so cast clouts at will.



If you look carefully at the photo above you will spy the crouching form of an amateur entomologist. I was able to identify her as such from the way she tap-tap-tapped at the branches of the hawthorn while holding an inverted white umbrella beneath it. This is characteristic entomologist behaviour and distinguishes them from outwardly similar species such as mycologists and botanists. She told me she was counting insects for the City Nature Challenge, which was kind of cool in a Hemulinish sort of way.

Comments

[cmcmck]

You are that bit further south than us- the blackthorn is only just beginning to flower here.

[steepholm]

And I think blackthorn is in any case usually a littler earlier than whitethorn.

[sovay]

This is characteristic entomologist behaviour and distinguishes them from outwardly similar species such as mycologists and botanists.

I am glad to see their characteristic spring emergence has not been affected by either climate change or coronavirus.

Thanks for the pictures! The chestnut looks great.

[steepholm]

I always love spring, but this year the sight of nature just getting on with it has been particularly uplifting.

[sovay]

I always love spring, but this year the sight of nature just getting on with it has been particularly uplifting.

Yes. I have been spending a lot of time, when I can get out of the house, looking at flowering trees.

[ashkitty]

You will be utterly unsurprised that I stopped to look at the pictures because I saw the subject heading. ;)

Hope you and Jessie are doing okay! <3

[steepholm]

I thought you might spot the reference!

Jessie seems to be on the mend. (She's standing awkwardly on my lap as I write this.)